All food businesses now need safety registration

Every person or company involved in the food supply chain, from street food vendors and small restaurants to importers and large-scale food processors, will now have to obtain registration or a licence from the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, according to new regulations.

Officials say the rules are meant to improve food safety standards and strengthen oversight of food businesses.

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However, traders and industry players have questioned how effective the regulations will be, saying the new rules, titled Food Safety (Registration and Licensing) Regulations, could add to the regulatory burden on businesses.

The new regulations were published in the official gazette on July 16.

It divides food businesses into two broad categories. Most small and medium food enterprises will need registration, while those dealing with specialised or high-priority products must obtain a formal licence.

For example, restaurants, bakeries, fruit juice bars, pastry shops and catering services will have to obtain registration from the Food Safety Authority.

Producers of packaged or wrapped foods, sweetmeat shops, dairy manufacturers and importers, excluding those importing raw and fresh food, will also have to register with the authority.

Even roadside vendors selling snacks such as pitha, puri and piyaju are required to have registration under the new rules.

On the other hand, businesses dealing with specialised food products, including infant formula and foods designed for older people or those with specific medical conditions, will face stricter licensing requirements.

The licensing requirement also covers businesses involved in fortified foods, organic products, genetically modified (GMO) foods and foods preserved through irradiation. Private food warehouses and cold storage facilities have also been brought under the licensing regime.

The rules also apply to the wholesale or commercial production, processing, storage, import and marketing of edible oil.

Generally, registrations and licences will remain valid for three years before renewal is required.

COMPLIANCE COSTS

As per the regulations, registration fees start at Tk 1,000, while renewal costs Tk 500.

Licensing fees for food establishments are based on floor area, ranging from Tk 1,000 for small shops to Tk 5,000 for premises larger than 10,000 square feet.

Storage facilities face higher charges. Warehouses larger than 20,000 square feet will have to pay Tk 40,000 for a new licence.

Industry leaders have criticised the fee structure, saying some charges are calculated on the total cost and freight (C&F) value of goods rather than fixed rates, which adds an unpredictable burden to businesses.

NEW RULES ‘THE 18TH LICENCE’

Kamruzzaman Kamal, marketing director of PRAN-RFL Group, a leading agro-processor and exporter, said the new registration and licensing requirements, while well-intentioned, risk adding to an already crowded regulatory system for food businesses.

He said food producers, traders, importers and marketers already need licences and registrations from as many as 17 different departments and organisations.

“While the objective is commendable, the concern is that we already have to obtain licenses and registrations from 17 different departments and organisations just to start a business,” said Kamruzzaman.

He said registrations and fees across multiple agencies are increasing the cost of doing business without improving outcomes.

Kamruzzaman also questioned whether the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority has the institutional capacity to enforce the new rules effectively.

Mostafa Kamal, managing director of Meghna Group of Industries, one of the country’s leading conglomerates, said food businesses already operate under multiple layers of regulation and that another regulatory authority will create overlapping jurisdictions.

“If there is one agency after another, there will be collisions between them,” he said.

The managing director said rising direct and indirect licensing costs, calculated on the total value of goods and cost and freight rather than fixed fees, will further increase the burden on businesses.

He called on the government to reduce regulatory overlap rather than expand it.

“Bureaucracy is at odds with the government’s commitment to a single-window system for business services,” he commented.

DOUBTS OVER PROPER ENFORCEMENT

Imran Hassan, secretary general of the Bangladesh Restaurant Owners’ Association, said food safety cannot be achieved through a single regulation introduced without broader planning.

Instead of multiple rules, he called for a practical food safety law to be introduced in phases over the long term rather than through an abrupt gazette notification.

According to the association, there are approximately about 4.81 lakh restaurants.

“You cannot implement food safety simply by issuing a law or a gazette like this,” he said, adding that the new requirements would add to existing pressures on businesses and create further scope for corruption.

Meanwhile, business leaders also questioned whether the Food Safety Authority has the capacity to implement the new regulations effectively.

Responding to those concerns, Md Anwarul Islam Sarker, member for enforcement at the authority, said they would initially focus on regulating industrial food production.

“Our initial target is industrial production and businesses engaged in large-scale production,” he said.

Anwarul said businesses already certified by organisations such as the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) will not face immediate intervention. However, the Food Safety Authority will continue to independently monitor food quality and production processes regardless of existing certification.

He said the authority is recruiting 25 senior food safety officers to be stationed at four ports to inspect imported food products, including meat and honey, for false declarations and adulteration.